Hours of Service Rule for Drivers Goes Into Effect July 1

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) changes to the drivers’ Hours of Service (HOS) rule, which changes the total hours a week a truck driver can work from 82 to 70 and implements a “34 hour restart” requirement, goes into effect July 1. The rule also requires a driver to take a 30-minute break for every eight hours of consecutive driving.

In February 2012 trucking advocates and public safety advocates both filed lawsuits against the FMCSA’s December 2011 HOS rule – the trucking groups indicated the rule is overly burdensome on the industry while the public safety advocates believed it didn’t go far enough. In March 2013, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments but the court has yet to make a ruling on the case, meaning the rule will go into effect July 1.

On June 18, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Highways and Transit held a hearing on the new HOS rule. Watch an archived video of the hearing on their website.

*Update: An Aug. 7 enforcement policy posted on FMCSA's website clarifies it will not apply the provision that requires drivers to take a 30-minutes break for every eight hours of consecutive driving to short-haul drives.